By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Nine Inch Nails, a popular industrial rock band, will perform in Seoul for the first time at Olympic Hall, Olympic Park on Sept. 11.
Rock fans have been eagerly awaiting the band's first concert in Seoul, which is part of its 2007 summer world tour.
Fans should expect an explosive concert from the group. Their concerts are known for exciting visual effects, intense energy and often end with smashed musical instruments. They will perform new tracks from their latest album ``Year Zero.''
Trent Reznor, the group's frontman, is one of the leading figures in industrial and alternative rock music. Reznor formed Nine Inch Nails in Cleveland, Ohio in 1988 and since then he has been the group's lead singer, songwriter and producer. He has remained the group's only official member, assembling bands to back up his music in the studio and in concerts.
For the world tour, the band features Aaron North on guitar, Jeordie White on bass, Alessandro Cortini on keyboards, and Josh Freese on drums.
The group achieved mainstream success in the mid-1990s with albums such as ``The Downward Spiral'' and ``Fragile.'' The band won two Grammy Awards, for Best Metal Performance in 1993 and 1996. Reznor was named as one of the most influential people in the United States by Time magazine in 1997.
Nine Inch Nails released its latest and sixth album ``Year Zero'' last April. The album reflects Reznor's political views and predictions on how the American government's policies would affect the world 15 years from now. Its first single ``Survivalism'' topped the modern rock charts in the U.S.
``Year Zero'' is also an on-going alternative reality game, where fans discovered coded messages in concert tour merchandise, leaked singles on the Internet and hidden Web sites.
Last May, Reznor publicly criticized his record label Universal Music Group. In his blog entry, he noted the ``absurd'' retail pricing of Nine Inch Nails' new album in Australia, where it is priced higher than pop albums. He also criticized the record labels' penchant for repackaging albums, as nothing but ``consumer rip-offs.''
Nine Inch Nails kicked off its 2007 world tour last February, holding concerts in Portugal, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. The second leg of its world tour begins in August, as Nine Inch Nails performs in Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Italy, Israel, China and Australia.
Ticket prices for the Seoul concert are 88,000 won and 77,000 won. Sale of tickets will start on July 19 at ticket.interpark.com.